If you’re anything like me, most of your mornings start with one goal: acquire coffee. Your favourite joe will do the trick to rid you of the caffeine-deficit headache, no matter if you use a French press at home or buy from the city’s myriad local and international cafes. (I can stop any time I like, thank you very much.)
Enter Anvil Coffee House.
Located at the southern edge of Ottewell in an unassuming strip mall, the cafe is creating community. As soon as I step inside I see that it’s a lively place. There are some patrons who are set up for long-term work on laptops and others who are chatting with tablemates, but it’s not hard to find a free table as people come and go with their cups of joe and head off to whatever else the day has in store.
The tables are small and colourful, the menu is scrawled on blackboards hanging from the roof, while a cooler to the right holds the cold options. A sign listing seasonal drink features sits atop a glass case filled with cookies, muffins and scones. After ordering coffee (Anvil serves Chronicle Coffee Roasters) all that remains is to settle in and see what the kitchen can do.
And if you’re wondering, yes, there is an actual anvil on display inside Anvil.
A few sandwiches are staples at a cafe, diner or other “fast-service but not fast-food” dining spots. BLT. Reuben. Cuban. Anvil’s version of the Cuban hits the spot in all the right places. Ham, turkey, pickles, Monterey Jack, mustard and mayonnaise pressed and toasted to perfection. While the turkey might make Cubano purists turn their heads, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. With a little white bag of chips on the side, it’s a great size for a lunch and can be enjoyed just as well one-handed on the go as it is savoured in one of the cafe’s seats. The marbled-rye bread Anvil uses for its grilled cheese and chickpea salad sandwich elevates those everyday options. Looks are one thing, taste is another, and my Cuban sandwich left me completely satisfied.
You can support local businesses beyond coffee at this neighborhood spot. Products from local creators — leatherworks like wallets and bags, paintings by Robin Good Art and other creations — line shelves on the walls and below the front counter.
Tuesday is the night for community at Anvil, when the coffee house that normally closes at 5 stays open late. The first Tuesday of every month is reserved for Dungeons and Dragons night (sign up online before showing up), while the second Tuesday of the month is a drop-in writing night.
Anvil Coffee House
Ottewell | 6148 90 Ave NW, Edmonton | anvilcoffeehouse.com
